Once Dursun Bey (Turkish chronicler) wrote: "If the sun were a man, then even he would be forbidden to look into the harem." Odalisques, the so-called beauties, intended only for the sultan, and living in a real paradise. The harem was home to several hundred concubines and wives of the ruler.
Only select members of the Sultan's family had access there, and the most famous was the Seral Palace in Istanbul. It was a small town surrounded by high walls and guarded. There were 400 rooms in the palace, in which more than 2 thousand women lived.
However, it was not easy to get into the harem. It was a scrupulous selection, and random girls never got there. A strict number of brunettes and blondes were selected for the harem, Slavic appearance was appreciated. They paid more attention to the hips and waist, while height and breast size were of secondary importance.
But not only appearance was important - the presence of a well-aimed mind was always welcomed. After the girl managed to get a place in the harem, a two-year general education course awaited her: it was useless to go to the Sultan unprepared. Odalisques learned languages, the Koran, literature, danced a lot, played musical instruments, composed poems and even knew how to fill the Sultan's pipe.
The course also included self-care - the girls knew how to prepare a particular mask and how to rub themselves. They were also taught to dress properly and choose jewelry. They also mastered the art of seduction and learned the subtleties of intimate gymnastics.
It was a special strip dance and wumbling - training of the vaginal muscles. In those days, cosmetics were only of natural origin and were very expensive. Mallow oil was especially popular - hundreds of kilograms of these flowers were delivered to the harem every year.
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Also, supplies of special clay, herbs, henna, roses and carnations were arranged. What can we say about cinnamon, lemons, antimony and tons of gold and silver jewelry. By the way, Turkish rose oil is still used in luxury cosmetics. However, all this was not enough: one could live in a harem all his life, but never get to the Sultan - after all, hundreds of magnificent girls flaunted in front of him every day. It took a lot of effort to be one of them. Therefore, nobody canceled intrigue and competition.
And if the Sultan noticed the girl, the “Golden Way” was waiting for her - the road from the common bedroom to the coveted chambers of the ruler. Especially talented girls won the attention of the sultan for many years, sometimes turning him into a dependent person.
Surely you know the stories when the favorites not only pleased the ruler, but also performed state affairs on his behalf. A vivid example is Khyurrem Haseki-Sultan, known in Europe as Roksolana.
